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Louis Delage was born in 1874 in Cognac, south of France. His family had a modest income which allowed for him to attend and graduate from the Ecole des Arts et Metiers in Angers in 1893. He then moved to Paris and began working with the Turgan-Foy company. Later he accepted a position with Peugeot. He left soon after to start his own company. Louis Delage began designing and building cars in 1905 with Augustin Legros as his chief engineer. Legros had left Peugeot with Delage and stayed with the company until 1935. The company focused on building cars that were of high quality and reliability. Their first cars were produced in 1906, and called the Type A and B. The cars were powered by a single cylinder de Dion engines producing about 6-7 horsepower.
Louis Delage was a very ambitious man. He had a passion for racing and a competitive edge that led him to produce some of the greatest sports cars of the era. In 1906 he participated in the Coupe des Voiturettes and was awarded a second place finish. This accomplished fueled sales. In 1908 he had three cars entered in the Coupe des Voiturettes race where their achieved a fist place victory.
In 1909 Delage moved away from the de Dion engines and began using their own 4-cylinder engine. However, some of the models they produced did use engines produced by the famous engine supplier, Ballot.
During World War I the company aided in the war-time efforts by producing munitions. This did much to increase Louis Delage's personal fortune. When peace returned, the Delage Company returned to automobile production. Their first vehicle after WWI was a six-cylinder CO, which was a slow seller. Their other model, the four-cylinder DO, was also an unfruitful venture. Production continued until 1921, with a total of 1602 examples produced of both types.
In 1921, at the Paris Motor Salon, Delage introduced their next new model, the four-cylinder DE. Sales were steady, with around 3600 units produced by 1923.
Throughout the years, Delage had many successes in the racing arena. Sadly, it was not enough. In 1935, their fortunes changed. The company closed due to bankruptcy and was bought by Walter Watney, the owner of a used Delage car dealerships in Paris. A machine tool company purchased the main factory in Courdevoie. Delahaye, another famous automobile manufacture of the time, bought the rights to manufacture cars under the Delage name.
Louis Delage was a very ambitious man. He had a passion for racing and a competitive edge that led him to produce some of the greatest sports cars of the era. In 1906 he participated in the Coupe des Voiturettes and was awarded a second place finish. This accomplished fueled sales. In 1908 he had three cars entered in the Coupe des Voiturettes race where their achieved a fist place victory.
In 1909 Delage moved away from the de Dion engines and began using their own 4-cylinder engine. However, some of the models they produced did use engines produced by the famous engine supplier, Ballot.
During World War I the company aided in the war-time efforts by producing munitions. This did much to increase Louis Delage's personal fortune. When peace returned, the Delage Company returned to automobile production. Their first vehicle after WWI was a six-cylinder CO, which was a slow seller. Their other model, the four-cylinder DO, was also an unfruitful venture. Production continued until 1921, with a total of 1602 examples produced of both types.
In 1921, at the Paris Motor Salon, Delage introduced their next new model, the four-cylinder DE. Sales were steady, with around 3600 units produced by 1923.
Throughout the years, Delage had many successes in the racing arena. Sadly, it was not enough. In 1935, their fortunes changed. The company closed due to bankruptcy and was bought by Walter Watney, the owner of a used Delage car dealerships in Paris. A machine tool company purchased the main factory in Courdevoie. Delahaye, another famous automobile manufacture of the time, bought the rights to manufacture cars under the Delage name.
| | View more photos Tourer Chassis Num: 12040 |
In 1990, this car was treated to a restoration and only recently imported to the United States. It is an elegant classic from one of France's finest automobile creators. At auction, the selling price surpassed the estimated value, selling for $102,960.
1923 Delage DE |
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| Year | 1923 |
| Make | Delage |
| Model | DE |
| Body Style | Tourer |
| Engine Location | Front |
| Drive Type | Rear Wheel |
| Coach Work | Taubes |
| Combined MPG | 0.00 |
| Introduced At | 1921 Paris Auto Saloon |
| Chassis / Engine Numbers Shown | |
| Chassis Number | 12040 |
| Engine | |
| Engine Configuration | I |
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Aspiration/Induction | Normal |
| Displacement | 2120.00 cc | 129.4 cu in. | 2.1 L. |
| Valves | 8 valves. 2 valves per cylinder. |
| Valvetrain | OHV |
| Main Bearings | 5 |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline - Petrol |
| Fuel Feed | Carburetor |
| 1 Zenith carburetor | |
| Standard Transmission | |
| Gears | 4 |
| Transmission | Manual |
| View Specifications |
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